Ever since Madame C.J. Walker’s revolutionary hair products, black women have had the option of wearing styles other than their natural kinks and curls. I grew up seeing black women rock long, straight hair, and I loved it. I thought it suited them well, and I never thought that an image of a European woman was to blame. I didn’t really make the connection until individuals noticed the tendency for black women with chemically-altered hairstyles to sacrifice money, exercise and time to ensure their hair is always perfect. Some saw that and thought the world of hot combs and sew-ins was a form of mental slavery in the minds of those who felt another culture’s beauty was better than theirs. The drive to escape this limiting and toxic mentality is what sparked a new movement that called for “real” hair in every black woman’s head. Some say that this “Natural Hair Movement,” is more than women seeking power in embracing their natural hair; some say it is a rebellion against pressed, permed and pre-made hair, the perceived symptoms of history, media, and society’s establishment of the traditional European model, and her hair, as the one and only standard of beauty. The most passionate women behind this campaign are such advocates for “natural hair,” that they are showing girls with chemicals in their hair, girls who press their hair often, and girls like me, that our beauty isn’t real. Because of that, it seems curl-activator cream and hot combs cannot co-exist peacefully – well, to the women who use them at least. Many women on the “naturalista” end of the black woman’s hair spectrum fall victim to being deemed unattractive or less feminine if they hold back on the heat. Many women on the other, chemically-altered and curling-iron side fall victim to being deemed fake, superficial, or a sell-out to their culture if they choose to turn up the heat. Both sides forget about health, uniqueness and accepting others and continue to fight for the right to be the “real” thing. The resolution to this war is actually something that lies far beyond the revolution itself. Yes, black women have been subjected to stereotypes and false standards of beauty, and yes, resisting this stronghold is pertinent to black women loving themselves as themselves. However, the next step is acceptance – and not just self-acceptance. Instead of pointing a finger at another “sister” whose hair is too kinky or is full of tracks, we should learn to appreciate the beauty in our differences. If we just respect that a woman is bold enough to express herself, whether it’s with bantu knots or belly-long weave, we should respect and uplift one another. Besides, the essence of anything real is in the source from which it grows. We must learn that we cannot define, measure or cut our “typical hair” because there is nothing typical about us; the “real thing” is simply a real sensation inside of us that manifests in our own, unique ways.